the_wild_gaiafandomcom-20200214-history
Keka
Keka are a humanoid race that most closely resemble hyenas. Primarily dwelling in the south of Gaia. Keka are known for their savage culture and warlike ways. Ecology Physical description Keka are extremely tall, with the average member of the race standing on average between 7' and 7'6". Though gnolls are relatively lean for their height, weighing in usually between 280 to 320 lbs, the race cuts an impressive visage. In part because of their height and lean musculature, Keka are very quick compared with many other races such as humans. Keka skin is a greenish-gray, and their furry hide is light or dark brown marked sometimes with spots or stripes. Many Keka also have a dirty yellow to reddish-gray crest-like mane that stands on end when a gnoll is angry. Female Keka are indistinguishable from males by size, in spite of a reputation for being shorter. In fact, so similar are male and female Keka in appearance that they are often mistaken for one another. The only reliable way to tell the difference, other than through a close physical examination, is if a female is pregnant or openly nursing, as even the genitals of Keka are near-identical, with the females possessing a pseudo-penis. Keka have very short lifespans when compared with other sapient humanoids, living only 30 or so years on average and maturing to adulthood at a remarkable speed. Keka do not, however, age particularly dramatically except at the end of their lifespans, at which point the decline is sharp and deadly, quickly ending in death. When a Kekal died, its bones were sometimes harvested by the other gnolls and animated by necromancy into a witherling, a type of skeletal Keka. Psychology Moreso than many other humanoid races, primal instinct remains a strong part of the Keka psyche. Kekaare natural predators and savor the thrills of the hunt. Almost all Keka prefer the wilderness to the larger tribes favored by humans, dwarves, or other similar races and those that do take to these enclaves usually think of them as just another kind of landscape. Many other races find the Keka psyche feral and aggressive, male and female equally, and the behavioral tendencies of the race can certainly give this impression. Keka start fighting among one another at a very early age and as soon as they can walk, many crawl into places away from the eyes of adults where they engage in vicious, often lethal battles. A Keka is more likely to demand answers than it is to actually ask a question. Keka, however, do not see this as an act of hostility, but rather a basic demonstration of strength. Though Keka are not necessarily evil, the craving of the hunt and primal bloodlust that inhabit the Keka mind make many of the race lean towards an evil nature by reflex. Keka who succumb to this tendency often become nomadic savages, wreaking havoc wherever they can, giving Keka their fearsome reputation as slaving brigands throughout the world. Fortunately, such creatures are rarely united and although Keka as a whole have a strong affinity for family and blood ties, this friendliness does not often extend to Keka who belong to a different pack and the race commonly makes war on itself. Other Keka practices might seem equally strange, such as the Keka propensity for scavenging. At its most basic level, this tendency leads many Keka to collect trophies that remind them of past victories, items sometimes grisly though just as often simple and mundane, Keka trackers sometimes use this to their benefit, keeping scraps of clothing or other objects with the scent of their prey on them, which they use to point them in the direction of their quarry. This tendency can lead to the even more alien Keka practice of carrion eating. Unlike most races, Keka have few, if any, qualms about eating the dead of other races. When Keka strike a village they do not only leave no survivors but no corpses, eating most of those whom they don't take as slaves. There are even indications that some Keka take this practice a step further, actually raiding graveyards for fresh corpses on which to feed. Culture In spite of the savage nature of the Keka, there are some aspects to their culture that are not inherently repulsive. Keka place a very strong value on family for instance, respecting blood ties perhaps more than any other aspect of a relationship. Though Keka within a pack commonly fight with each other for dominance, these battles are quickly forgotten after their resolution, and in most situations, Keka of the same bloodline are loyal friends and allies to one another. These bloodlines are almost always traced maternally, through the female line This loyalty to family is particularly obvious during combat, either with rival Keka packs or other races. Keka who fight side by side regularly throw away personal glory in order to help their brethren. Perhaps most surprisingly, when a Keka is separated from clan and family their instinctive need for such blood ties may lead them to form a surrogate "pack" from those whom they choose to befriend. To these unlikely allies the Keka is as loyal and faithful as they would their own brothers or sisters, embracing the outsiders as if they were family. Another common trait of Keka, that of scavenging, is taken to new levels by Keka who live in the wild as most do. While all Keka have an innate tendency for collecting souvenirs and trophies, nomadic packs, particularly the savage ones who have little contact with other races except during wartime, often find few other ways to acquire technology, having crafted few tools of their own. The result of this is that most Keka rely on the other races as their source of wealth and technology. This extends to arms and weaponry, giving Keka armor a unique aesthetic where each suit is typically made kit bashed together from scavenged pieces of armor found either on victims or abandoned. Keka of all kinds find an affinity for hyenas, who many see as their brethren and whom they keep as pets or for hunting. Mainstream Keka Culture Though Keka of all kinds have a strong loyalty towards family, Keka do not extend such courtesies to those outside their pack however and mainstream Keka culture has a much deserved reputation for brutality. Most Keka are nomadic, wandering from land to land and living off of raids on the local populations. Victims of these attacks should expect no mercy from their attackers and those who are not killed are taken as slaves where they are brutalized and abused both physically and mentally. Keka detest physical labor and so to ensure utter loyalty from slaves take the brutalization of slave to almost an art form. For this purpose most packs have specialized slavers known as "spirit breakers" who make it their business to break the will of a slave through repetitive torture. The process wreaked on a slave's mind by the spirit breaker is brutal and often irrevocable. Those captives who do not submit are eaten, often in front of other slaves as yet another form of torment. Slaves who accept their fate often live short and brutal lives, which are ended by them being devoured. Few victims are lucky enough to be rescued and those that are may take months to shake the scars from their psyche and recover. An even less fortunate few find their minds so broken that they actually embrace the brutality of their captors, becoming the "savage souls," who follow their masters into battle as thralls. Most of these individuals are broken creatures, little more conscious than the hyenas Keka favor as pets, but a handful retain their intellect, effectively becoming Keka in all but form. These savage souls'' ''are the most dangerous since they can, unlike regular Keka, act as infiltrators, performing sabotage and laying the ground for Keka raids, too often undetected until it is already too late. Variant Cultures Though most Keka packs embrace their reputation for savagery, others refrain from such utter depravity. These clans are also nomadic but unlike the others rarely engage in violent raids except when seriously provoked. Likewise, though they retain the natural Keka bloodlust they take no joy in torture or unnecessary cruelty, embracing hunting and tracking over outright slaughter. In some cases these Keka might even come to befriend or at least peacefully interact with the members of other races, offering their services as trappers or hunters. Generally, however, Keka prefer their own kind and except when on business rarely visit neighboring villages dominated by members of another race. Likewise, these Keka remain aggressive and quick to anger, meaning visitors should be careful not to offend. Religion Few Keka have any interest in religion, though there are a few shamans to be found among some of the packs. Typically, Keka see their very nature as a way of expression any religion that they may have, and the patron spirits of these Keka packs are often equally as bloodthirsty as their minions. Some Keka, however who turn away from the violence often seek out the more peaceful spirits of other races, to become their patron. Category:Sentient Species